Watches, today, have to go beyond mere time-telling. And Louis Vuitton has proven that it can through its three new high watchmaking pieces that are as much art as mechanical wonders. Drawing inspiration from nature, tradition, and space, each watch showcases the maison’s commitment to storytelling, technical precision, and artisanal techniques. The latest models include the Escale en Amazonie pocket watch, the Tambour Bushido Automata, and the Tambour Taiko Galactique—each designed and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
The newly unveiled Escale en Amazonie pocket watch stands out as the most complex timepiece Louis Vuitton has ever created. It’s also the first piece from the Escales Autour du Monde collection, which promises to explore world cultures through horology. The Escale en Amazonie delivers a full scene in motion: a hand-carved canoe, tiny trunks, curious jungle animals, and swirling Monogram flowers all activate when a sliding pusher is pressed. At the top of the dial, a rotating gold rose compass captures the idea of travel and exploration.
But there’s more going on than just movement. The automata sequence includes seven animations and 15 moving parts—set against a detailed Amazonian landscape made with 31 enamel colors and 30 kiln firings. From a monkey’s shifting expression to the shimmer of gold in the river, every element is sculpted for fluidity and depth. Time, interestingly, is read on the back of the gem-set case, giving the animated scene on the front full attention.
The watch is powered by the new LFT AU14.03 calibre—manually wound and built in-house at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. It contains 555 components, features a tourbillon and a chiming minute repeater, and took 500 hours to assemble. Fine watchmaking details include gold wheels, ruby prongs, 646 hand-finished inner angles, and engraved monobloc gongs. The Escale case itself is covered in baguette-cut gems, from emeralds to tsavorites to yellow sapphires.
With the Escale en Amazonie – which took more than 1000 hours to complete – Louis Vuitton is also signaling a formal move into the world of pocket watches. This piece, previously the kind of work made only through private commissions, marks a shift in how the brand is presenting its mechanical capabilities. It’s also a reflection of Louis Vuitton’s travel roots, brought to life in a miniature jungle theatre.
In parallel, the brand launched the Tambour Bushido Automata, a watch rooted in Japanese tradition and powered by the LV 525 calibre. First seen in the Tambour Carpe Diem, this 426-component movement animates a Samurai’s transformation across a 16-second sequence. The Samurai’s mask splits open, revealing the hour; a katana sword traces the minutes; one eye sharpens, and the jaw reveals the word Bushido in red Japanese script. All of it unfolds through intricate dial mechanics.
The piece combines high mechanics with fine artistic detailing. The helmet and facial armor were engraved using traditional Japanese techniques by master craftsman Dick Steenman. A rose gold yokai figure, set with rubies, adds to the narrative. Layers of enamel painting depict Mount Fuji beneath a golden sky, which also doubles as a power reserve indicator. The Samurai’s face is carved in red enamel with matte textures for contrast.
Even the case is part of the story. Engraved and enameled for the first time in Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking history, it shows a Samurai moving across a landscape at sunset.
Completing the trio is Tambour Taiko Galactique, a space-inspired automaton that follows the brand’s earlier forays into themed storytelling. Powered by the LFT AU14.02 movement, the watch features a minute repeater and several animated elements: an astronaut waves a Louis Vuitton flag, a satellite orbits, stars flicker, and the Sun rotates—all while cathedral gongs chime the hour.
The visual execution is elaborate. The Moon’s texture is rendered in grisaille enamel, the Earth is built from seven enamel layers, and the Sun gleams with paillonné enamel. Michel Navas, Master Watchmaker at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, said, “Animating the astronaut in space realistically was the biggest challenge of the Tambour Taiko Galactique. His right arm slowly waving the LV flag, while his left arm provides a counterweight, creates a striking weightless effect.”
Design cues carry through to the case, made from titanium and white gold with a mix of mirror-polished and sandblasted surfaces. The crown sits at 12 o’clock and is flanked by a rubber strap marked with LV patterns. Gem-set details, including sapphires and topazes, continue the space theme. Through the sapphire case back, the movement is fully visible.
Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, said, “The Tambour Galactique embodies a resolutely modern journey, where the DNA of Louis Vuitton – to constantly push the limits, reaches its pinnacle. This quest for excellence is evident both in the design and development of the watch movement and in the aesthetic approach to artisanal know-how, which we wish to both perpetuate and project into the future.”
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Each of these watches builds on a common idea, the fusion of narrative, motion, and timekeeping. Whether in the Amazon, a Samurai battlefield, or outer space, Louis Vuitton continues to reshape what a timepiece can express, technically and emotionally. These aren’t just watches—they’re kinetic stories.
